The nuns allowed the Lancaster Against Pipelines group to build the chapel in a cornfield on their land in West Hempfield Township, near a retirement community they operate.

Williams, the company that owns the pipeline, sought to take immediate possession of an easement last week to allow construction of the pipeline, telling a judge the chapel would cause "irreparable harm" to the pipeline project.

But the sisters have a "land ethic" that guides them to honor and revere the Earth, which they shared with the crowd today.

And Clatterbuck said Lancaster Against Pipelines is prepared to hold constant vigil at the site to prevent the pipeline from going through.

About 200 people attended today's dedication ceremony amid the cornfields of Lancaster County. Some brought signs showing their opposition to the pipelines. Others brought their kids in big sunhats. But all sat in the pleasant rural acres to hear from the sisters.

Williams spokesman Christopher Stockton told Lancaster Online last week that the company respects the rights of protesters but "we view this simply as another blatant attempt to impede pipeline construction."

The proposed pipeline will run for roughly 200 miles, transporting 1.7 billion cubic feet of gas per day.